


A Fine Friend

by rikujo



Series: Flicking the Switch [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: EngBel Week 2018, F/M, Harry Potter AU, Ned & Spain are only mentioned, Pottertalia, Wizard AU, they're fourth years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 07:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16192604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikujo/pseuds/rikujo
Summary: Interrupted by an ever cheerful Hufflepuff while doing his homework, Arthur almost ends up on a date.





	A Fine Friend

**Author's Note:**

> I like making cute stuff and I like HP so this was fun. Bel is a Hufflepuff and England a Slytherin.  
> Hope you like it!

“Have you done the transfiguration homework yet?”

Arthur blinked, lifting his head from his book. He’d been holed up in the back corner of the library for nearly an hour and his mind was filled with the specifics for the fourth year’s end of term potions assessment, so it took him a moment to surface from his reverie. He found the seat beside him suddenly filled. Léa set her books down next to him with a pleasant smile.

“No,” he finally replied, his mind still a little distant, but his train of thought was fading as his attention focused on her bright eyes. “It’s downright impossible. I end up with a frog instead of a toad every time.”

The Hufflepuff smiled, leaning her elbows on the table. “Maybe it’s that fight you and Francis had earlier this week drawing your focus.”

Arthur lips twitched and he set his quill aside, leaning back in his chair. “He won’t thank you for that insinuation.”

A tiny giggle escaped her lips. “Then I’m lucky he’s not here to hear it, right?”

“Quite,” he agreed. He shifted his seat a little, angling it towards her. “Do you want to work on the essay together? Is that why you came over?”

Léa shrugged. “I was thinking it made sense.” She glanced down, lifting her wrist and checking the watch strapped around it. As always, Arthur’s eyes lingered on the glaringly muggle object for a moment too long. “We don’t have long until dinner though,” she continued in a murmur, frowning slightly.

“We could go to the kitchens instead of the hall.”

The words were out of his mouth before he could think about the implication. Léa stilled momentarily before an amused little smile began spreading on her lips. Arthur inwardly began cursing, belatedly realising that he’d just asked her to spend the evening _alone_ with him, doing an activity frequently undertaken by the older students as a _date_. He considered banging his head against the table, but settled for keeping his expression as neutral as possible. Amazingly, Léa’s smile softened and she leant a little closer. 

“I’d like that,” she said simply. 

His eyebrows shot up. “Would you?” 

A tiny giggle slipped past her lips. “I would.”

Arthur nodded, still taking the words in, but then he rolled up the parchment he’d been working on and grabbed his bag from the arm of his chair. He slid his books into it and then stood, settling the strap over his shoulder. “Well then, shall we?” he offered, gesturing away from the rows of bookcases. 

“Of course!”

Léa hopped up, gathering her books in to her own bag , and Arthur quickly found his elbow playfully snatched so that they ended up with their arms linked by the time they were walking through the library. He pointedly didn’t think about it when she shifted a little and his arm ended pressed against her chest—or at the very least he firmly ignored it when he  _almost_ thought about it. 

“I hope they have that chocolate gateau they had last week," Léa said. "It was simply delicious.” 

“Mm, it really wasn’t bad, you’re right.” 

He pretended not to notice the eyes of any fellow fourth years as they passed the rest of the library tables and breathed a small sigh of relief when they were finally out in the cool corridor beyond. 

Being out of the library was good; he’d needed to clear his head. Then again, having Léa’s hand slide down to casually tangle her fingers with his wasn’t exactly doing that. 

“So, do you think Slytherin are going to win Quidditch next week?” she asked, blinking those beautiful eyelashes at him. He felt strangely giddy for a second, but made himself focus, scoffing. 

“Of course we will. It’s only Ravenclaw; we all know their hearts aren’t in it,” he dismissed. 

“Hm, last time you were that over-confident you got trounced by my _own_ house, if I recall,” she teased, looking far too pleased with herself. 

Arthur found himself smiling. “Ah but losing to your fair house is far less unpleasant, wouldn’t you say? It made you smile, at least.” 

The kick of delight he felt when her smile widened and she bit her lip, her cheeks colouring just a touch, was expected by now, but it made it no less satisfying. 

“Antonio said something similar,” she told him though, rather dashing his happiness. Her expression was decidedly fond and Arthur frowned, looking away down the corridor as they headed for the staircases. It was only when her delicate laughter rang out that he glanced back. Léa shook her head at him. “You always do that you know, get grumpy when I mention Antonio.” 

“Yes, well he’s a first class idiot and I have to put up with him a great deal more than anyone reasonably should,” Arthur muttered, trying his best to sound bored. God he hoped he wasn’t that obvious. He was a shame on the name of his house if he was. “By the way, do you know your brother smuggled another rabbit in this week?” he asked instead, changing the subject as they came to the grand staircase. 

“ _Another_ one?” she echoed, her eyebrows lifting. “Whatever happened to the last three?” 

“I believe they’re all alive,” he replied, both of them beginning the long trek down the stairs, “Although I daresay the white one is mentally scarred if Matthias wasn’t lying about that incident in the Herbology Greenhouses.”

“Well that’s good, I suppose.”

“Hm, in a way. They get terribly underfoot in the common room though.”

“I can try and persuade Jan to give them to me and Luca if you like,” she offered. “They’re bound to get noticed more out of the dungeons or we could just send them home to our parents once he hands them over. It would stop me worrying about him getting caught, at least.” 

“Yes and you’d then get caught with them yourself. Merlin knows I don’t know how Jan does it but he’s amazingly quiet about it. I wouldn’t want to blemish your otherwise sparkling record,” he finished as they stepped off the last of the stairs into the entrance hall.

Léa just smiled. “It would be for a good cause, but for now I’ll just persuade the house elves into giving us extra pudding and thank you for putting up with it that way.”

She tugged lightly on his hand, leading them across towards the door to the basement, and Arthur was forcefully reminded that her fingers were still laced with his.

He glanced down at their linked hands, astonished by how natural it looked. She was wearing paint on her nails again – another startlingly muggle addition, nail polish she’d called it – this time in black and yellow for her house. He traced his thumb over the smooth, striped paint and then adamantly pretended he hadn’t when Léa glanced over at him, facing dead ahead instead. 

His eyes firmly on the door, he almost didn’t hear the shout from above them. 

“Arthur. _Arthur_ ,” called a low, familiar voice, and Arthur drew to an abrupt halt, looking back up the main staircase to find his brother perched halfway up. “The Headmaster wants to speak to you,” Dylan said. “Well, to both of us,” the sixth year amended with a tilt of his head. 

Arthur didn’t even try to hold back his scowl. “Can we go later? I’m…” His eyes darted to Léa and back. “…busy.”

“No, apparently it’s important,” Dylan insisted. Arthur still didn’t move. His brother folded his arms. “ _Now_ , Arthur.” 

Quite sure Dylan had been his favourite brother up until that moment, Arthur gritted his teeth. 

Léa laid a gentle hand on his arm, though, and he found her smiling when he turned. “It’s okay, we can go another day you know. I’m sure it’s necessary.” 

Arthur sighed, but he nodded all the same. “Of course,” he said. “The thought was nice.” 

Léa nodded back, but her fingers finally slipped away. His were left oddly cold in their absence. He didn’t have time to focus on it, though, because Léa was already stepping away. She offered him one last wave before heading for the Great Hall instead and Arthur sloped back up the stairs towards his brother.

“I hate you for that,” he muttered as he drew level. 

Dylan snorted quietly. “I’m your brother,” he justified, “That’s my job, isn’t it?” 

Arthur just rolled his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> By the way I am totally implying that Netherlands is the ultimate rarity here: A Slytherin Muggleborn. It completely fits him though. Kudos and comments are massively appreciated ❤
> 
> I'm at [anglaisaph](http://anglaisaph.tumblr.com/) if you want to say hello!


End file.
